The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration announced the availability of $8.9 million to support American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages.
This is the second consecutive year of increased funding for the Tribal Transit Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to a March 20 DOT news release. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021, has increased competitive funding for the program by nearly 83% per year for five years.
“We are investing in transit serving Indian Lands and Alaskan Native villages, which means that Tribal communities will be better connected to schools, jobs, food, health care and other essentials,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release.
The new federal money will help Tribal transit systems provide critical access to communities with few other travel options, the release reported. Funding applications will be evaluated based on outlined criteria, and the application period will end June 26.
According to the release, Tribal transit systems transport American citizens more then 13 million miles via vehicle each year. It was noted many of these citizens "have few other travel options."
“Last year, I was pleased to meet with representatives from the Nez Perce and Coeur D’Alene Tribes to hear about the significance of this support for their transit systems,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in the release. “The stories they told echo across our nation. Everyone in our country wants an easier trip to the store, a quicker ride to work or a more comfortable way to go visit their elders. Thanks to President Biden and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re going to provide better journeys to more people on Tribal lands.”
The quality of applications will be judged along the lines of standards laid out in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, such as the ways in which the project will increase the quality of life for the Tribe and other rural areas, according to the release.
